In a first-of-its-kind study, 11 stroke victims with weakness in their arms
could reach out and grab objects more easily and more quickly after two weeks
of playing the active video games.

In contrast, 11 stroke patients who played card or block games for two weeks
showed no change in arm strength afterward, says Gustavo Saposnik, MD, director
of the Stroke Outcomes Research Unit at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

"For the first time, we've shown that the virtual reality gaming system is
safe, feasible, and potentially effective at improving motor function after
stroke," he tells WebMD.

Until the video games prove safe in larger numbers of stroke survivors --
shoulder pain being the main concern -- it's too soon to recommend people start playing Wii
games after stroke, Saposnik says.

But should the video games pan out in a study of 120 stroke patients now in
the planning stage, the Canadian researchers believe they will become an
adjunct to traditional stroke rehab programs.

"The great thing about gaming is that it engages the patient and motivates
them to participate -- for hours. It gets them to use the [weak] arm
repeatedly, which is what is needed to regain strength. And it's fun," says
American Stroke Association spokeswoman Pamela Duncan, PhD, a physical
therapist at Duke University in Durham, N.C. Duncan is familiar, but not
involved, with the research.

Stroke Rehab With Wii Games

Saposnik says he got the idea for the study after his 5-year-old daughter
told him their Wii tennis match was stacked against her.

To even out the odds, the left-handed researcher tried playing with his
right hand. "It was difficult. But over time, I got better, leading me to
believe [the games] could be beneficial for stroke rehabilitation," he
says.

The study involved 22 people whose strokes left one arm weak, although they
were able to touch their chin or opposite knee.

Two months after their stroke, half began a two-week course of video game
therapy with Wii tennis and Wii Cooking Mama, which uses movements that
simulate cutting a potato, peeling an onion, slicing meat, and shredding
cheese.

The patients could use a Velcro strap to attach the controller to their hand
if necessary.

The others played recreational card games or Jenga, a block stacking and
balancing game.

Both groups engaged in eight doctor-supervised sessions, about an hour long,
over a two-week period. "During each session, they'd engage in one game for 30
minutes, then the other for the next 30 minutes," Saposnik says.

The findings were presented here at the American Stroke Association's
International Stroke Conference 2010.

Improved Speed and Strength

None of the participants experienced any serious side effects from the
games. Two patients in the recreational therapy group and three patients in the
Wii group reported being unusually tired after the sessions.

When evaluated after the two-week course of therapy and again a month later,
people in the Wii group could reach out and grab an object such as a can of
soda about seven seconds more quickly than those who played recreational games,
Saposnik says.

"That may not seem like much, but if you imagine every task you do being
seven seconds longer than usual, you'll see how quickly it adds up over the
course of a day," he says.

People in the video game group also had a stronger grip than those in the
recreational game group, he says. "They were faster and stronger," Saposnik
says.

Duncan tells WebMD that the reason video games enhance motor function so
much is that they are "highly repetitive and task-specific. Doing the same,
precise thing over and over activates brain cells. The brain rewires and
existing connections work better," she says.